


That Guy off the TV

by RedStockings



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Celebrity Crush, Crushes, M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 02:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedStockings/pseuds/RedStockings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles is in love with the man in the toothpaste commercial. Then, by some twist of fate, the man moves into the neighborhood. This might be Charles' chance, if only he could stop being blinded by Erik's amazing smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Guy off the TV

**Author's Note:**

  * For [velvetcadence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetcadence/gifts).



> This prompt was too funny to pass up. ... I wrote a toothpaste jingle. You'll be glad to know, I don't work in advertising. :D

**  
Brush up boss style, on the west coast we be, fresh.**

“Are you watching that TV commercial again? Have you got it on loop?” Raven yelled from down the hall, before her slippers started shuffling along on the polished floorboards. She pushed Charles’ bedroom door open. “Just because the parents are out, doesn’t mean you can crank up the volume you know.”

“No,” Charles said defensively, trying to close down his browser before Raven could see it.

“You’re watching it on YouTube? Is that an hour long loop? Seriously Charles, you have a problem,” Raven said grinning over his shoulder. Her brother was pretty weird, but hey, it could have been worse. “You’re actually choosing to watch an advert? You know most people hit the mute button when those come on.”

Charles scowled, his reflection in the computer screen clear for Raven to see.

“Look, this man just happens to be my future husband,” Charles said reopening a tab of some smiling guy, with the toothpaste logo behind him. “I’m supporting his work.”

Raven snorted.  

“Whatever,” she said dismissively. “Erik Lehnsherr, hmm, he’s kinda hot. He’s the guy in the advert?”

“Why do you think I’m watching the advert? It’s not for the jingle.”

Raven shrugged.

“Alright, I’ll leave you two alone,” she joked as she closed the bedroom door on her way out.  

***

The rapper on the stage was rapping the jingle, we be fresh, we be fresh on the coast. His gleaming smile was mirrored by the people around him in the glamorous club that only ever existed on TV. As the camera planned round, it focused on a young man sitting in a private booth, the visual epitome of success in his expensive suit. His smile was blinding, as he lazed casually in his seat, surrounded by beautiful people and champagne.

Charles hit pause. Erik Lehnsherr was by far the most attractive man that he’d ever seen in his life. He wasn’t stupid, he knew the whole advert was designed to make you think that, so that you’d buy the toothpaste in the hope you’d start to vaguely resemble these people.

Still, it didn’t change anything. Charles’ small crush was starting to become an obsession, which lead to an almost complete nervous collapse when he’d happened to be unloading groceries from the car with Raven, a removal van arrived on the opposite side of the street.  

“Oh my God, it’s him!” Charles said, ducking down slightly behind the car.

“What, who?” Raven asked alarmed. She looked around terrified.

“Erik Lehnsherr,” Charles hissed, looking across the street at the truck.

A sleek looking black car had also arrived and a man had just gotten out. He looked just as sleek as his car, moving with determination towards the empty house. It was their new neighbour.

“The toothpaste guy?” Raven asked squinting hard. “Are you shitting me?”

“No, look, he’s moving in over there!” Charles said, still trying to hide behind their car. “Oh God, he’s looking over here.”

Raven watched her brother turn bright red, and smirked at him.

“Well, we are staring at him. We ought to offer to help, be nice neighbours,” she said, shuffling her shopping bags and waving at the newcomer. Charles looked at her mortified.

“Are you crazy?” he asked, wide eyed with terror. “I can’t go over there.”

“Why not?”

“Because I love him!”

Raven rolled her eyes.

“You know what Charles, you’re insane. I’m going to go say Hi, you can stay here and be a creep. I don’t care. And stop crouching; you look like you really need to pee.”

Charles watched Raven cross over the road and start a conversation with the removal men. Feeling like an idiot, he picked up Raven’s abandoned shopping bags and headed for the house.  It was with some relief that Charles left a few days later for his next term at college, so he could continue to love Erik from afar.

***

“Hi,” Erik said, smiling his blindingly white smile whilst standing on the doorstep. He was just like the advert, just as stunning, rendering Charles dumbstruck.

“Uuuuh, Hi,” Charles stammered. Oh no, it was Erik. What was he doing here? Charles itched to run his hand through his hair, knowing it must look a mess. He’d been napping before the doorbell had run, after his long drive him from college. Why did the universe hate him so much.  

“I’m Erik, I moved in across the road a few months ago,” he said as if he hadn’t noticed that Charles looked like a tried mess. “You must be Charles.”

“Uh…” Charles stammered again eloquently.

This time Erik started to look rather uncomfortable.

“Your dad said I could borrow your disc cutter,” he said, eyes sliding past Charles now, looking for anyone else who might be at home. “I’m doing a bit of remodelling at my place.”

Charles stared at him. Why wouldn’t his mind work? Why couldn’t he think of something witty to say? Or anything to say for that matter?

“Disc cutter,” Charles repeated. He didn’t have a first clue what that was. This was terrible. Why couldn’t Erik have come over to borrow his scientific journals, or his microscope?

“Disc cutter, cuts through bricks, concrete, that kind of thing…” Erik elaborated. “It’s a power tool.”

The grin was starting to reappear on the man’s face now; clearly he was finding Charles’ lack of typical manly knowledge amusing.

“It’ll be in the garage,” Charles said, thanking the stars that he’d finally switched his brain back on. “Follow me.”

Erik followed the young man around the side of his house, noting his shorter stature and his nervous expression. He wondered what was making him so jumpy, and why there was a blush of red across his cheeks and his ears. Charles’s hands shook slightly as he pressed the button to open the garage door, and then he stepped back to peer into the darkness inside.

“Uh… borrow whatever you like.”

***

Charles’ feet hit the ground with a flagging pace. He was almost home, but his enthusiasm for jogging was wearing out now. His Ipod battery had died about ten minutes ago, and now there was nothing to distract him from how very unfit three years at college had made him. Nothing, until he rounded the corner and realised that Erik Lehnsherr was Jogging towards him. Unlike Charles, Erik obviously didn’t find this an odious task, nor was he in any way out of shape.

Charles slowed into a walk as Erik neared, and fought to catch his breath as changed directions to walk beside him. The gesture was unexpected, and Charles surprised to find that Erik still remembered him.  

“I wondered if you’ve ever come back from college,” Erik said, as Charles fought for his breath. “You were gone so long.”

“You noticed?”

“I didn’t know you jogged,” Erik said suddenly changing the subject again, and smiling that million dollar smile.

Million dollar, because his toothpaste sales were pretty lucrative these days. Turned out that Erik not only appeared in the adverts, he was the owner of the brand also, and voted one of America’s most up and coming young persons. Why he was doing his own DIY on his relatively small home for his apparent fortune was beyond Charles. Shouldn’t he by upgrading by now?

“I don’t,” Charles wheezed.

“No?” Erik replied. “How you stay looking so fit then?”

Charles felt his breath hitch. The unexpected compliment was a little too personal to just be friendly.

“I’m not.”

“You look pretty good to me,” Erik continued as if this was perfectly normal. “Just saying.”

Charles felt his heart skip a beat with the sudden nervousness he felt. Was Erik hitting on him? Or was he reading way too much into what he’d said. Either way, his mind had decided to take his moment to shut down for some file maintenance.

“Yeah? Well you look great…” Charles blurted before feeling all the blood drain from his face in horror, and he suddenly found he had plenty of energy left to run across the road and hide in his house. “Uh… great running… when you’re running… I have to go now.”

Charles didn’t hear what Erik said in reply, because all he could think about what getting home as quick as possible and collapsing with shame. You look great? Oh God, what was he thinking? 

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt : Erik has a toothpaste ad on TV. Erik also happens to live in Charles' neighbourhood. It's a small neighborhood, so he bumps into Erik every so often. Charles keeps getting blinded by Erik's gorgeous smile and can never quite summon the coherence to ask him out.


End file.
